How Kidney stones are formed

Kidney stones are formed due to supersaturation of urine. This leads to crystal formation and these further aggregate to form a kidney stone.

The formation of kidney stone starts at the tip of calyces. The natural history of kidney stones is, that either they grow at the site or they pass out into the pelvi calyceal system, through the ureter into the bladder and then out through the urethra.

The kidney stone may lie silently in the kidney or it may be symptomatic in the form of a dull aching pain in the flank. When the stone passes into the ureter, the pain is usually acute, colicky, travelling from the back to the abdomen and may radiate to the genitalia (depending on the size of the stone), while the stone in the bladder normally presents as pain in the lower abdomen, as a burning sensation while passing urine or as an interrupted flow of urination. (Very often this is associated with vomiting and nausea). All above may be associated with blood in the urine.

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Reccurent Kidney Stone Disease and Metabolic Work Up

Recurrence of kidney stone is as high as 50% in 5 years of the first kidney stone presentation . There is an increase in prevalence of kidney stone disease globally. It may be attributed to changing affluent dietary habits, increased prevalence of diabetes and obesity, migration from cooler rural setting to urban area and global warming.

Evaluation of kidney stone formers includes: careful medical history, social and family history, dietary evaluation, occupation and laboratory evaluation.

Kidney stones are known to increase with obesity, hypertension and are a harbinger for Diabetes.
Laboratory investigation for all stone formers are:

stone-disease2

Laboratory Evaluation Of Kidney Stones Nephrolithiasis:

Stone composition:

  • By x-ray crystallography or infrared spectroscopy

Serum chemistry:

  • Calcium
  • Chloride
  • Bicarbonate
  • Sodium
  • Potassium
  • Phosphorous
  • Blood urea nitrogen
  • 25-hydroxy-vitamin D(if low urine calcium or serum calcium)
  • Uric acid

Urinalysis:

  • Microscopic
  • pH
  • Specific gravity
  • Protein

24-hour urine analysis:

  • For patients with recurrent stones
  • Some first-time stone formers

Role Of Diet in Kidney Stones

If some abnormality is picked up in the metabolic evaluation of kidney stone patient then specific diets as prescribed by the nutrinitional dietian are required.
If no abnormality is picked up in the metabolic evaluation of the kidney stone patient, the instructions are:

  • To drink enough fluid in a day so as to aim for a urinary output of 2.5 to 3 liters in 24hrs.
  • To eat more than five serving of fruits and vegetables daily.
  • Eat Balanced meals and maintain appropriate weight.

A kidney stone patient should be aware of certain facts

  • Low fluid intake causes high urinary super saturation.
  • Excessive salt intake increases the calcium in urine and decreases the oxalates.
  • Excessive refined, carbohydrate, caffeine or alcohol intake increases the calcium in the urine and alcoholics also have increased uric acid.
  • Low intake of fruits and vegetables decreases citrate in the urine and produces acidic urine more conducive for stone formation.

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